


A Good Dude

by rsadelle



Category: Bandom, Fall Out Boy, Music RPF, Pop Music RPF
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-08-01
Updated: 2010-08-01
Packaged: 2017-10-26 06:39:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/279910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rsadelle/pseuds/rsadelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pete tries to set Jessica up with a good dude.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Good Dude

"Patrick can give you a ride home, right Patrick?"

Patrick shrugs. "Yeah, sure."

So Patrick gives Jess a ride home, and after Pete's closed the door behind them, Ashlee turns to him and says, "Honey, are you trying to set Jess up with Patrick?"

Pete tries not to look too guilty.

Ashlee laughs, but not meanly, and kisses his cheek. "Honey, no."

"But Patrick's a good dude!"

Ashlee puts her arms around him. "You know I love Patrick, but he's a workaholic who needs someone who understands that, and Jess needs someone who's going to be there and love her with his whole heart."

Pete wraps his arms around her too. She's his wonderful wife, and he's going to have to trust her on this one. "I just want them to be happy."

Ash kisses his cheek. "I know. That's why I love you."

*

Pete introduces Jess to a couple of friends over the next few months, and then he forgets about it because their nanny turns in her notice. She's nice enough not to actually leave for a month, but that means they go through about a million resumes and interviews and background checks. Neither of them are willing to turn Bronx over to someone they haven't checked out as thoroughly as humanly possible.

Their first pick is Kristy, a woman a couple of years older than Pete with short dark hair and subtle makeup. Her resume is impeccable, and she cheerfully sits on the floor and builds a block structure with Bronx that he promptly knocks down.

"There's one more thing," she says at the end of the interview. "I'm a lesbian."

Pete and Ashlee exchange a look, and then Pete says, "You can't have sex in front of Bronx, but that would be the rule if you were straight too."

Ashlee elbows him in the side but doesn't disagree.

Kristy laughs. "I didn't think it would be an issue for you, but I thought you should know."

They hire her, and she moves in. She's pretty clear about the boundaries of what her job is and is not, but she eats with them most nights, and takes a turn cooking every once in a while.

"I'm not into doing it every night," she says, "but it's fun sometimes."

*

Jessica dates yet another celebrity who breaks her heart. Pete's traveling at the time, and when he calls home (which isn't a specific place but wherever Ash and Bronx are), Ashlee says, "Kristy is a godsend. She's been working nonstop so I can stay with Jess."

When Pete gets home, they give Kristy a week off to make up for it and Jess doesn't need someone to be with her every moment, just comes over for dinner every night.

The first night she's back, Kristy takes over the kitchen. "I love my mom," she says, "but she wouldn't let me cook at all and I feel horribly guilty about it." She flashes them all a quick grin. "So you're reaping the benefits."

Kristy's a good cook, and she does well with vegan food. Pete and Ashlee go back and forth about it, but Jess has stuck it out for a while now.

When Kristy dishes up plates for them, she doesn't give Ash and Jess half of what she gives Pete, the way Tina and Joe do.

*

Pete's wandering through the living room, when he hears Kristy chuckle in the dining room.

"It's not any easier," she says.

Pete looks in on his way past. Kristy and Jess are at the table with Bronx. Bronx has a sippy cup and a small plate of apple slices. There's a second plate on the table between the two women.

"I think it's more about the person and the relationship." While Pete watches, Kristy nudges the plate towards Jess, who picks up a slice of apple without seeming to think about it.

Pete figures this isn't a conversation he's supposed to be part of and wanders away.

*

Ashlee finds him in his office two days later when he's scrolling through the contacts on his phone. She drapes her arms over his shoulders. "What are you looking for?"

Pete tips his head back and kisses her chin, the only part he can really reach at that angle. "Trying to think of someone for Jess."

Ash comes around the chair and sits in his lap. "Maybe we need to leave Jess to Jess."

Pete settles his arms around Ashlee's waist. "I just want her to be happy."

"I know, baby." Ash rests her cheek on the top of his head. "I do too."

*

They're all out by the pool, Ash and Pete in the water with Bronx and Jess and Kristy lying on lounge chairs in the sun. All three women are in bikinis, and Pete's old enough that he's no longer overwhelmed by that much female skin, although every time he looks at Ash, he thinks about leaving Bronx with Kristy and dragging Ashlee to bed.

"I love that your pool is so private," Jess says. "I could never wear this in public."

"Sure you could," Kristy says. "You're beautiful."

Bronx splashes his arms hard enough that Pete gets a mouthful of water and starts laughing.

*

Pete gets in late one night. Ash is waiting up for him, in bed with a book in her lap. Pete crawls into bed with her without bothering to get undressed, pressing his mouth to hers and relaxing against her.

She has a secret little smile when she breaks away from the kiss. "You can stop scouring your address book."

It takes him a moment to figure out what she's saying. "Jess found a guy who's going to love her with his whole heart?"

"Not exactly." Ash twines her fingers with his. "She took Kristy out to dinner. I heard them pull up but they never came in, so I went to see what was up. They were kissing on the porch."

Pete blinks at her and then grins. "I told you I could find someone for her."

Ashlee laughs and pushes him over, following him down. "I get some credit here. We both interviewed Kristy."

"All right, all right," Pete concedes. "You had something to do with it too."

Ashlee kisses his words away.


End file.
